Automatic make-and-break contactor



I f 7 May 7' H. w. PROTZELLER 630 580 AMOMATIC MAKE AND BREAK CONAGTQR Filed April 8.. 1926 2 sheets-sham i jzue/zZ or 1927' H. w. PROTZELLER 630 580 wwom'rxc MAKE AND BREAK CONTACTOR Filed April 8, 4926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MZIZUG/ZZLO i Patented May 31, 1927.

uni'rsn stares rarest orFics HARRY W. PROTZELLER, OF EAST CHICAGO, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO 0. F. JORDAN COMPANY, OF EAST CHICAGO, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

ANTOMATIC MAKE-AND-BBEAK CONTACTOR.

Application filed April a, 1926. Sierial No. 100,767.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic make and break contactors and it consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. j

The primary object of the inventionis to provide a simple and ethcient means carried by a railway car or vehicle such as a rail joint oiler and to normally have a rolling support upon one of the rails of a track and to include a device adapted to engage a portion of each rail joint in said track and momentarily close a circuit to an associated device, as for instance an electrically actuated valve of the rail joint oiler.

A further object of the, invention is to provide such a contactor that may be swung into an inoperative position when the car or vehicle is in transport, and which maybe adjusted as to time in closing and opening the circuit with respect to the device associated with said circuit.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a contactor which is quiet and p0sitive in operation and which is not subjected to such shocks or ars in operation as will soon render it inoperative.

The above mentioned objects of the invention as well as others, together with the many advantages thereof will more fully appear as I proceed with my specification.

In the drawings: I

Fig. 1 is a. view in side elevation of an automatic make and break contactor embodying my invention as when forming a part of a rail joint oiler.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view as taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, showing the contactor in end elevation and in operative poby my improved automatic make and break contactor.

Referring now in detail to that embodiment of the invention 1 indicates one of the longitudinal side sills of a rail joint oiler mounted on wheels (not shown) adapted to travel upon a railroad track, the abutting rail ends 2 of which are joined together by the usual joint plates orbars 3 and bolts and nuts 4 Fixed to the underside and extending; transversely of and beyond each side sill are spaced angle bars 5 5. Journalled in said angle bars at a suitable distance out wardly from the vertical plane of the rail is alongitudinally extending rock shaft 6, secured against endwise movement therein, in any suitable manner. Depending from said rock shaft are spaced arms 77 which arms are rigidly connected together near their top and bottom ends bars 8, 9 ahd 10 respectively, the twoformer bars being preferably flat and the latter one being of a cylindrical cross section. The arms 7-? are made of relatively heavy rectangular stock and each has a hole in itstop end through which the rock shaft 6 extends and opposite sides of said top ends of the arms carry set screws 11 by means of which the said arms may be locked to the shaft. By loosening the screws the said arms may be adjusted longitudinally on the shaft, between the angle bars 515 and then secured in saidadjusted position.

Tl'ie bottom end of each arm is reduced in diameter and made of a cylindrical cross section as best shown at 12 in Fig. 4, and abut against a flat plate 1.3, bolts 14 extending upwardly through the ends of said plate to he threaded into the bottom ends of said arms. Journallcd on said cylindrical end of each arm is a roller or disc 15 carrying a flanged bearing bushing 16, which rollers are intended for a rolling supporting" engagement with the inner top corner of the head of the rail.

On the top side of said flat plate 13 is a flat block of insulating material 17 which projects asuitaljle distance beyond the inner edge of. said hate; A. bolt 18 having; an

associated nut passes through the plate 13 and block 17 respectively to pivotally mount said block on said plate and in said block is an arcuate slot 19, see Fig. 3, through which a clamping bolt 20, carried by said plate extends. Said slot which is relatively short, is concentric with the bolt 18 so that the angular position of the block relation to the plate, may be carefully determined. On the under side of that end of the insulation block beyond the plate 17 is fixed a metallic contact plate 21. On the bolt 18 below the plate 17 journalled at a point between its ends, a contact lever or member 22. The inner end of said lever underhangs the contact. plate 21 and carries acontact brush 23 adapted for a wiping contact with said plate 21 when the lever is swungin one direction. The other end of said lever, which rounded off as best shown in Fig. 3. projects a. suitable distance beyond the plate 13 and in operation is intended to en gage the inner splice bar 3 of the rail joints. A spring 2% so connects the lever and plate 13 that the contact brush is normally held out of engagement with the contact plate 21. A pin 25 projecting from the bottom surface of the plate 13 limits the movement of said lever in one direction under the action of said spring 24. The lever 22 being mounted as described is of course grounded electrically to the side sill of the vehicle frame.

Associated with the contactor and controlled thereby is an electromagnetic valve indicated as a whole as at 26 and which is fixed to the side sill 1 adjacent said contactor. Said valvewhich includes amagnetic coil 27,1135 attachedto it a swingable duplex spray nozzle 28 whichis adapted to so straddle the rail as to discharge two conical sprays, one upon each rail joint as it is passed. The fluid to the nozzles, is delivered to the valve casing 26 under pressure as by means of the pipe 29 and when the coil 27 is energizedby completing the circuit thereto as when the contactor approaches and passes a rail joint, the said coil ope "ates a valve to permit a passage of the fluid into said nozzle and as soon as the rail joint is passed, the circuit to said coil is broken and the same is dcenergized thus closing oil the passage of fluid to said nozzle. The nozzle being swingably connected to the valve casing, may he swung upwardly from the rail to clear the same when so desired, as by means of a link 30 connected to a rock arm 31. One terminal of the coil is electrically connected as by aconductor 32, to the contact plate 21, while the other terminal of the coil is connected by a conductor 33 to one side of a battery 34;, the other side of which is grounded as shown in Fig. 6. As the construction of the nozzles and associated electromagnetic valve forms no particular part of the .contactor forms a part is in tr:ms nn'lx.

present invention it is not thought necessary to describe the same in greater detail here.

The contacto'r which by gravity normally rests in a supporting engagement against the rail may be swung upwardly and away from said rail, about the rock shaft (3 as an axis so as to clear the rail and other associated track parts, when the vehicle of which the To impart such a swinging movement to the contactor, a chain 35 has one end connected to the bar or rod ll) while its other end is con nected to any suitable means on the vehicle, for actuating said chain to impart the dosired movement to the com-actor. The con tactor may be adjusted longitudinal] y of the rock shaft without alfecting the connection with said chain because the bar or rod 10 will slide through the associated link of the chain as isapparent.

lVith the contactcn' and spray nozzles in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the operation is as follows: As the vehicle is travelling over the rails, the rollers 15 of the contactor will roll along the inner top corner of the head of the rail, with the outer end of the lever in position below the head of the rail. As a rail joint is ap 'n'oacheth said lever end will engage the advancing end of the inner plate or bar thereof and will ride in engagement with the side of said plate or bar, thus swinging said lever about its axis against the action of the spring, and swinging the brush end thereof into a position to bring the brush 23 into engagement with the contact plate 21 on the insulating block 17. This closes the circuit to the coil 27 and operates the same to open the valve to permit thepassage of the spraying fluid to the nozzles. As long as the lever engages the joint plate or bar, the circuit is closed and the valve held open. As soon as the lever leaves the said plate or oint, the spring 2% acts to return the lever to its normal position, wherein the brush removed from the contact plate and the circuit is broken. permitting the valve to close and shut oil the passage of oil to the nozzles.

By reason of the adjustment of the arms upon the rock shaft 6 and the :nljustnnnlt provided by the pivotal connection and bolt Ull llll] referred to certain details of mechanical construction as well as to the form and arrange ment of parts thereof, the same is by way of illustntion only and I do not wish to be limited thereto except as may be pointed out in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A contactor of the kind described enibodying therein, a supporting plate, means thereon adapted for a guiding engagement along a track rail, relatively movable contact members mounted on said plate and nor mally inactive means mounted on said plate and adapted to engage a part of a joint in said rail to cause a relative movement of said members into contact and to hold the same therein as long as said normally inactive means engages said rail joint part.

2. A contactor of the kind described embodying therein, a supporting plate, means thereon adapted for a guiding engagement along a track rail, a fixed contact and a movable contact member mounted on said plate, normally inactive means mounted on said plate and adapted to engage a part of a joint in said track rail to cause said movable contact member to engage the fixed contact member and to maintain said engagement as long as said normally inactive means engages said rail joint part.

3. A contactor of the kind described embodying therein, a supporting plate, antifriction means thereon adapted for a guiding engagement with a track rail, means support ing said plate from above to maintain said antifriction means in engagement with the rail by gravity, relatively movable contact members mounted on said plate, and normally inactive means mounted on said plate and adapted to engage a part of a joint in said rail to cause a relative movement of said members, into contact and to hold the same therein as long as said normally inactive means engages said rail joint part.

4. A contactor of the kind described embodying therein, a supporting plate, antilriction means thereon adapted for a guiding engagement with a track rail, means fixed to said plate and rockably mounted from above for movement transversely of said plate to maintain said antifriction means in engagement with the rail by gravity, relatively movable contact members mounted on said plate and a device on said plate and adapted to engage a part of a joint in said rail to cause a relative movement of said members into contact and to hold the same therein so long as said device engages said rail joint part.

5. A contactor of the kind described embodying therein, a supporting plate, antifriction means thereon adapted for a guiding engagement with a track rail, means fixed at one end to said plate and extending upwardly therefrom, a shaft to which the top ends of said means is operatively connected for a swinging movement transversely of the plate to maintain said antifriction means in engagement with the "ail by gravity, relatively movable contact members mounted on said plate and a device on said plate and adapted to engage a part of a rail joint in said rail to cause a relative movement of said members into contact with each other.

6. A contactor of the kind described embodying therein, a supporting plate, antifriction means thereon adapted for a guiding engagement with a track rail, means fixed at one end to said plate and extending upwardly therefrom, a rock shaft, devices for adjustably securing said means longitudinally of said shaft so that said plate may be swung transversely of the rail, relatively movable contact members on said plate and a lever also mounted thereon and adapted for engagement with a part of a rail joint to cause said contact members to engage each other.

7. A device of the kind described, embodying therein, a swingably supported plate, antifriction rail engaging members thereon, a contact member carried by but insulated from said plate, a second contact member, a lever on said plate and operatively connected to said second contact member and having one end adapted to engage a part of a rail joint and spring means connecting the other end of said lever with said plate.

8. A device of the kind described, embodying therein, a swingably supported plate, antifriction rail engaging members thereon, a contact member carried by but insulated from said plate, a lever pivoted on said plate and carrying a brush on one end adapted to engage with said contact member and having its other end formed to engage a part of a rail joint, and means operatively connecting said lever and plate to normally hold the brush out of engagement with said contact member.

9. A device of the kind described, embodying therein, a swingably supported plate, rollers thereon adapted for guiding supporting engagement with a rail, a block of insulation adjustably fixed to said plate, a contact member fixed on said block, a lever pivoted between its ends 011 said plate, a brush on one end of the lever adapted for engagement with said contact lever, the other end of said lever being adapted for engagement with a part of a rail joint and a. spring connecting said lever and plate for holding said lever with the brush thereon, out of engagement with said contact member.

10. A device of the kind'described embodying a pair of supporting arms swingably mounted at one end, a plate operatively mg a brush at one end to engage said 0011- tact member and a spring connecting one of said lever ends to said plate to hold the brush out of engagement with said contact member.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, this 29 day of March, 1926.

HARRY W PROTZELLER. 

